Wyoming LIHEAP (LIEAP) 2026-27: Income Limits and Apply

For a 50-state comparison of the federal ceilings, our LIHEAP income limits guide has the full table. What follows applies to Wyoming only.

LIEAP pays your utility or fuel dealer directly. A "Wyoming energy grant" that lands in your bank account isn't LIEAP.

Wyoming LIEAP 2026-27: 3 Services on One Application

Wyoming offers 3 services through one joint LIEAP application, and its last filed plan put 50% of the money into seasonal heating, 18% into winter crisis help and 15% into weatherization. The plan held 8% as carryover and 9% for administration. Nothing went to summer cooling.

Sources: DFS LIEAP page and About LIEAP handout; Wyoming 2025-2026 State LIEAP Plan, sections 1.1, 1.2, 2.6 and 4.12.

Homeowners, renters and people living in permanently parked RVs, fifth wheels or campers with a physical address can all apply, according to DFS. Your seasonal benefit won't pay bills from before October 1, 2026.

Wyoming LIEAP Income Limits for 2026-27 (60% of State Median Income)

Wyoming's 2026-27 limit for four people is $68,959, which matches ACF's FY2027 table to the dollar. DFS counts total income for everyone in the household.

Sources: sizes 1 to 5 from the DFS About LIEAP handout (opens in a new tab), updated September 24, 2026; sizes 6 to 8 from ACF's FY2027 state median income table, since the handout says to check the portal for larger households. Monthly figures for 6 to 8 are the annual amount divided by 12. The added-person figure follows ACF's method of 3% of the four-person limit. Wyoming applies these from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

When the figures change next. LIHEAP years start October 1, and DFS posts new guidelines with each season's handout. Look for 2027-28 figures in September 2027, when DFS updated this year's.

No automatic qualifying through SNAP. The filed plan shows DFS chose "no" on categorical eligibility, a point the plan's public commenters asked DFS to reconsider. Getting SNAP or SSI doesn't skip the income check, so upload proof of income for every household member. For food help, our SNAP income limits guide covers the federal lines, and for health coverage, see our Wyoming Medicaid income limits guide.

How Much Wyoming LIEAP Pays

Wyoming's filed plan sets seasonal heating benefits from $48 to $1,901, and DFS says LIEAP "pays the highest benefits to those with the highest primary heating fuel costs." The amount turns on your main heating costs, household income, family size and how much funding DFS has.

LIEAP pays a portion of your monthly winter bill until your seasonal benefit runs out or May 31, 2027, whichever comes first. Your approval notice lists the total benefit and which vendor gets it. The vendor invoices LIEAP, and the credit shows up after DFS pays, so there can be a lag.

What LIEAP won't pay. DFS's FAQ lists disconnect or reconnect fees, late fees, collection charges, payment plans, appliance protection plans, winter protection fees, revolving accounts, security lights, NSF fees and equipment repairs outside the crisis program.

Worked example. For example, a family of three in Casper earning $4,200 a month has $50,400 a year, under the $57,925 limit. If they heat with natural gas, their seasonal benefit would fall somewhere between $48 and $1,901, applied month by month to the gas bill. If their gas company sent a disconnect notice in January for $700 and they'd made a payment in the last 60 days, crisis help could pay toward it. The filed plan says shutoff crisis amounts come from a sliding scale up to the $1,100 cap, so the family may still owe part of the $700.

Propane changes the math. A retired couple in Riverton on $3,000 a month in Social Security and a pension, or $36,000 a year, is under the $46,892 limit for two. Because DFS gives the biggest benefits to the highest fuel costs, a propane-heated home is likely to land nearer the top of the range than a home on cheaper natural gas.

2026-27 Dates and Deadlines

The 2026-27 LIEAP season gives you 7 months to apply, from October 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Here's the calendar from DFS and the PSC rules.

The filed plan notes DFS moved its deadlines to April 30 for 2025-26, lining up the heating and crisis windows. That plan also opened the portal early, on September 2, 2025, to households with a member 60 or older, a disabled member, a child 5 or younger, or a high energy burden.

Federal funding status. Wyoming's share of ACF's October 9, 2026 release is $9,729,392, according to ACF's state allotment table (opens in a new tab). The national total was $3,631,860,000, which ACF calls 90% of the money available under the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103), signed September 2, 2026. ACF restricts funds for grantees without an approved FY2027 plan. On November 3, 2026, DFS's page still linked the 2025-2026 plan, not an FY2027 one. Additional federal money for the year depends on Congress.

How to Apply: Online at mylieapwyo.org in 5 Steps

Wyoming takes LIEAP applications online, with phone help for anyone who can't use the portal. DFS's handout lays out 5 steps.

1. Gather documents. You'll need contact information and an email, ID for every household member, proof of income for each member, and your most recent heating and electric bills showing the service address, account number and name.
2. Register. Create an account at mylieapwyo.org. Your email is your username. If you already have an account from LIEAP, the Homeowner Assistance Fund or emergency rental assistance, use it.
3. Complete the application. Choose seasonal heating, crisis help, weatherization or a mix.
4. Review and submit. DFS won't look at drafts.
5. Track the status. Log in to see the decision, payments and any request for documents.

No internet? Call (800) 246-4221 and the LIEAP team will take your application by phone. Questions go to lieapinfo@wyo.gov.

Forms you may be asked for. DFS posts 2026-2027 versions of an Employer Statement, Self-Employment Statement, Self-Declaration of Zero Income, Work Registration Agreement, Rental Verification and Agreement, Statement of Incapacity, Permanently Parked RV declaration and Authorized Representative Release.

Timing. DFS processes non-emergency applications within 45 days. If you get a shutoff notice before applying, attach it and check the box. If it comes after, call (800) 246-4221 and send a copy.

Crisis Help and Wyoming's Cold-Weather Shutoff Rules

Wyoming handles heat loss emergencies within 18 business hours of the application, according to DFS. The filed plan sets 48 hours to act on other crises. Crisis help covers utility deposits, shutoff notices, broken furnaces and running out of fuel.

Two rules apply for 2026-27:

• The 60-day payment rule. You must show at least one verifiable payment toward your primary or secondary utility in the past 60 days. No payment, no crisis help.
• Two utilities, one payment each. With a disconnect notice from the last 30 days, LIEAP can pay toward up to two utilities, once each per season.

PSC shutoff rules. Wyoming doesn't have a winter moratorium by date, but Chapter 3, Section 9 of the Public Service Commission's rules sets these protections for customers of regulated utilities:

Source: Wyoming PSC rules, Chapter 3, Section 9 (opens in a new tab), as amended March 8, 2023; summarized by the ACF-funded LIHEAP Clearinghouse (opens in a new tab).

The same rule tells utilities to help elderly and disabled customers who can't pay find government assistance. The filed LIEAP plan adds that one of Wyoming's natural gas providers holds a shutoff moratorium for LIEAP clients, without naming it, so ask your gas company whether it applies to you. If you buy propane, coal or wood, the PSC rules don't cover your dealer; DFS suggests calling (800) 246-4221 if you can't resolve a problem. For a regulated gas or electric utility, file a complaint with the PSC at 307-777-7427.

Weatherization: Free, but Only About 3% Get It

Wyoming considers every approved LIEAP household for weatherization, but DFS's handout says only up to 3% receive services each year because of program capacity. WAP uses a priority point system and its own income rules, separate from LIEAP's. Work usually means insulation, sealing leaks around doors and windows, and basic health and safety checks, and DFS estimates savings of 5% to 25% on heating bills.

Apply any time; if you only want WAP, fill out the LIEAP application and check only the WAP box. For roof or structural repairs, our home repair grants guide covers USDA and other routes.

Wyoming's FY2027 LIHEAP Money Per Resident

Wyoming's first FY2027 release is $9,729,392, according to ACF's state table, and the state had 588,753 residents on July 1, 2025, according to the Census Bureau population data. Grantsights analysis of those figures found Wyoming received $16.53 per resident, 14th of the 50 states and D.C. and well above the $10.44 national average.

Wyoming comparison sources: ACF FY2027 first release state table (opens in a new tab); Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab). Rank excludes territories.

Specifically, Wyoming's $16.53 per resident is more than double Colorado's $8.10 and Utah's $7.12. Applying the last plan's split to this release, about $4.9 million (50%) would go to seasonal heating and about $1.8 million (18%) to crisis help, a small pool for a big state. That's a reason to apply early instead of waiting for spring.

What DFS's LIEAP Page Doesn't Tell You

DFS's page is detailed, but 6 things are easy to overlook.

1. The crisis cap doubled last year. The plan's public comment record shows crisis help went from $550 in FY2025 to $1,100. If you skipped crisis help before because $550 wouldn't fix your shutoff, ask again.
2. The new 60-day rule can trip up people who are already broke. Even a small payment counts as an "active effort," so pay something on the bill before you call.
3. A one-time crisis payment per utility. You get one crisis payment per utility per season, for up to two utilities. Use it on the bill that heats the house.
4. Weatherization is a long shot. Only up to 3% of approved households get it each year, so don't plan around it.
5. Ten days to appeal is short. South Dakota gives 60 days and North Dakota 30. Request a review in writing as soon as the notice arrives.
6. The 32-degree rule only covers regulated utilities. A propane or wood dealer can stop delivering in any weather, which is why fuel-dealer customers should apply in October.

Common Mistakes and Scam Red Flags

These 5 mistakes cost Wyoming households the most, based on DFS's FAQ and rules:

• Leaving the application in draft. DFS can't review drafts. A common mistake is uploading documents and never clicking Submit.
• Partial bills. The heating and electric bills must show the service address, account number and name.
• Forgetting ID for everyone. Wyoming wants identity proof for all household members, not just the applicant.
• Missing the 10-day review window. If the benefit looks wrong, write to lieapinfo@wyo.gov right away.
• Assuming last year's approval carries over. A new application is required every season.

Scam red flags. The FTC's utility impostor scam guide (opens in a new tab) says real utilities don't demand gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or payment apps to stop a shutoff. In Wyoming, watch for:

• A caller claiming Rocky Mountain Power or Black Hills Energy will cut you off today, when PSC rules require 7 days' notice
• Anyone charging to file your LIEAP application or "move you up"
• A sign-up link that isn't mylieapwyo.org or dfs.wyo.gov
• A promise of a LIEAP payment to you instead of your vendor

DFS takes fraud reports through a form on its LIEAP page. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab) and to the Wyoming Attorney General's consumer protection unit.

Turned Down or Out of Benefit: 4 Next Steps

Wyoming gives you 10 days from your LIEAP notice to request a review in writing, according to DFS.

1. Ask for a review. Email lieapinfo@wyo.gov or mail LIEAP, PO Box 827, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003. For a service complaint, call (800) 246-4221 and ask for a supervisor; unresolved issues go to the State Program Manager.
2. Reapply from the portal. If you were denied for missing documents or your income dropped, open the denied 2026-2027 application, click the undo arrow and resubmit.
3. Call the utility and 211. Ask the utility for a payment plan, and look into Energy Share of Wyoming, which the PSC lists on its energy assistance page, plus local funds through 211.
4. Check other help. If rent is behind too, our rental assistance guide covers the main routes, and our emergency cash assistance guide lists one-time help. Older residents can see our help for seniors guide, and for phone service, our Lifeline guide.

The federal side of LIEAP, including how the yearly funding works, is in our national LIHEAP guide. Neighbors can compare our Montana LIHEAP guide and South Dakota LIHEAP guide.

Want a quick read on other programs? Start here: the free eligibility checker on Grantsights asks a few questions. Choose "Individual," then "Personal financial help," and it lists official routes for bills, rent, food and benefits screening, not grants. For a Wyoming heating bill, it sends you back to mylieapwyo.org.

Sources

1. Wyoming DFS: Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) (opens in a new tab) - 2026-27 dates, crisis rules, documents, FAQ, appeals
2. Wyoming DFS: About LIEAP handout, updated September 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - income guidelines, weatherization capacity, steps
3. Wyoming DFS: 2025-2026 State LIEAP Plan (opens in a new tab) - fund split, benefit range, crisis maximum, public comments
4. Wyoming DFS: LIEAP Reapplication Guide (opens in a new tab)
5. Wyoming PSC rules, Chapter 3, Section 9: Discontinuation of Service (Cornell LII copy) (opens in a new tab)
6. Wyoming PSC: file a complaint (opens in a new tab)
7. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: state disconnection policies, Wyoming entry (opens in a new tab)
8. ACF: LIHEAP state median income table for FY2027 (opens in a new tab) - Wyoming 60% SMI
9. ACF: First Block Grant Funding Release FFY 2027 (opens in a new tab) - the release that carries Wyoming's first FY2027 allotment
10. ACF: FY2027 first release by state (opens in a new tab) - Wyoming $9,729,392
11. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab)
12. FTC: utility company impostor scams (opens in a new tab)